


Misfits (They'll Call Us Gods and Pretend We Existed)

by KayleeJohn



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, First Kiss, Jealousy, M/M, Misfits AU, No Sex, Temporary Character Death, Violence, Ziall-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 07:24:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3348599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleeJohn/pseuds/KayleeJohn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Is that him?” A new voice, a stranger’s voice, and Zayn looks over at the brunette with Niall, meeting his eyes and a shy smile, the waggle of his fingers. “He’s gorgeous, what the hell.” The guy curses as Zayn just watches him, probably believing that Zayn can’t read lips or something like that. Even if Zayn didn’t have his power, the way this guy’s mouth works around words is ridiculous.</p><p>Or the one where they get superpowers, try to be bad, and kind of save each other along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misfits (They'll Call Us Gods and Pretend We Existed)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [helenabarbara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/helenabarbara/gifts).



> For the following prompt:
>
>> they have superpowers (let zayn be a telepath, pleasee) and are like this world saving power trio. have any enemy you want, like the wanted or something. maybe one of them gets kidnapped and the others have to save their soulmate.
> 
> I didn't get everything I wanted to do, I'm so sorry OP! I originally started writing a different story and I absolutely despised it. It wasn't good at all so I had to restart in like the last week of the exchange. I do like this version but if you don't like it, I am so sorry! I can write you something else if you'd like!
> 
> Additionally, please read the tags and if you think anything at all is a bit iffy, I've listed the potentially triggering parts in the end notes so you can check if there's something you don't want to read! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!

It’s weird, but Zayn can hear everything. Not just the rustling of the people standing in the locker room beside him but also the people who are using the community center as a makeshift yoga room, and, if he focuses, just barely, the cars driving on the street outside.

It’s so much noise, loud like a screech, and it hurts his brain if he tries to focus on it all, so he’s grateful when a nudge at his side knocks him out of his head. “Zayn, did you hear me?” It’s Niall, his elbow knocking into Zayn’s arm again as he wrestles on his jumpsuit and scowls at the scratchy orange cotton.

“What?” Zayn asks, and he knows he sounds the opposite of intelligent right now, but he forgives himself after the weird week he’s had, the freak storm that literally knocked him off his feet only a couple days ago.

“I said,” Niall continues with a smirk, twisting around to push his back up against the lockers. “You should get dressed before the probation worker comes in.” Niall nods toward the locker room door, trapping his tongue between his teeth. “I still can’t believe they even made us come back after Monday, but whatever.”

“Yeah, right,” Zayn says, but it’s half-hearted at best because he isn’t really listening anymore, too focused on the squeal of the probation worker’s shoes as he make his way across linoleum floors. He’s getting closer and Zayn figures he _should_ get dressed so he starts to pull his sweater off, crossing his arms to lift the hem but.

Zayn barely has it over his head when he feels eyes on his bare chest, heady like the press of fingers against his skin. Zayn takes his shirt off but hugs it close to his chest, looking over at Niall, catches him with his stare dark and his eyes hooded.

Niall’s eyes snap up to meet Zayn’s a second too late, and Niall’s cheeks flush just the slightest bit, but he clearly isn’t embarrassed because he winks before walking away, whistling as he clasps his hands behind his head and disappears around the corner.

It’s hard for Zayn to shake Niall’s presence after that, even though he’s gone, so he doesn’t realize he’s in the shit until the probation worker is clearing their throat right behind him and he’s not even half dressed.

* * *

Zayn gets off relatively easy though, both by the probation worker and because they’re on trash pickup for the day, walking around the estate with garbage bags in one hand and claw grabbers in the other.

It’s one of the least difficult tasks, mindless at best, so it gives Zayn time to work on his power, if he’s willing to call it that. Because, he’s been reading things online, local twitter trends and the like, and everyone’s calling it that after they got caught in the storm, so. It only makes sense.

Zayn’s not twenty minutes into their chore when he stops against the wall and fakes a cigarette break, lighting up, but he’s more concerned with the lark he can hear chirping and flapping two blocks away than the little _snick_ his lighter lets out.

Zayn blows out a low cloud of smoke though and he just feels himself relax with it, his eyes drift half shut and his concentration rock into something sweet. He loses the lark but picks up the hum of a television and it’s gotta be about ten floors up because he can’t make out any actual words, just the gentle lilt of a person’s voice.

Then, there’s the ringing of a phone, that sharp trilling sound that makes Zayn feel a little antsy. He doesn’t focus on that for too long. Instead, he tunes into the bubble of a tea kettle, the soft babble of a young child, the chug of a train over a straight section of rail-

The sharp horn of a car, way too close, makes Zayn jump and fumble his cigarette, drop half an inch of ash on his shoe, and he grimaces and flicks off the burnt bits before taking a long drag.

Now that he’s not focusing on anything in particular, a conversation floats into his ear, close enough that Zayn doesn’t really need to strain to hear it. He tries not to listen, it’s private after all, but all his effort kind of zaps away when he hears his own name.

“Zayn is well fit, isn’t he?” It’s a girl, he can tell that much, and it’s coming from his left or somewhere in that direction. Zayn looks over just in time to catch her looking away and she’s actually pretty close, just down the street. Even more surprising, he recognizes her from the Community Payback group, spots her lopsided blonde hair and remembers the cute gap between her teeth.

“Hey, he’s off limits.” And that’s Niall, and if his words don’t just stun Zayn almost off his feet, but he doesn’t have the time to process them before Niall continues, leaning in closer to the girl. The way Niall drops his voice to a whisper doesn’t make it any harder for Zayn to hear him speak, “Now, are you going to show me your power or not?”

Zayn’s blatantly watching now, the P word setting him off, so he sees the girl cup her hands and raise them to her mouth, blow into them until, what the fuck?

There’s a ball of ice in her hands now, and she smirks at Niall and flips hair out of her eyes, “People always said I was a frigid bitch.” She leers and lets the ice drop and splatter on the ground, sending shards exploding around their feet.

“Nice,” Niall bounces back to get out of the blast zone, lets the word hiss through his teeth before pulling his phone out of his pocket and handing it over. Zayn looks away before he can watch the girl enter her number, something bitter biting on his tongue.

He’s almost tuned them out when Niall speaks again, “You might be useful after all,” before the scuff of his feet on the ground lets Zayn know he’s walking away, just like that.

The girl calls after Niall, sounding irritated, “Useful? What the fuck does that mean?” And she’s yelling now so Zayn doesn’t even really need to use his power to hear her. “Niall! You said you were going to show me yours!” But Niall doesn’t seem to stop and she lets out a low curse before storming away.

It turns out that Niall was walking in his direction because, when Zayn looks up, there he is, a little, knowing smile on his face as he walks past, twisting around to keep Zayn in his sights as he goes. “Hey Zayn, you good?” Niall asks, bobbing his head in a nod, and Niall is so beyond anything Zayn’s ever known, he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

So, Zayn doesn’t think about it before nodding, flicking his cigarette over his shoulder as he pushes off the wall to follow Niall as he goes. “Good,” Zayn says and, if he’s lying just the slightest bit because he’s confused and wary and a little embarrassed, well, no one has to know about that.

* * *

The next time Zayn sees Niall, he’s with this tall guy, long brown hair, insane pink lips curled in a stupid smile and Zayn’s never seen him before in his life, isn’t even sure if he’s on the ASBO roster. They’re laughing about something as they come in, Niall clapping a hand to this guy’s chest and leaving it just a second too long for Zayn to like it, not that he should have any opinion on it because Niall doesn’t owe him anything.

Zayn strips off his shirt and he doesn’t care who sees.

Which, he only really has a problem with it when he can’t get his locker open and it’d look silly if he puts his shirt back on, so. He’s frowning at the combination lock when he hears a low whistle and it sounds so close that he snaps his head around, only to find out that there is no one standing near him.

“Is that him?” A new voice, a stranger’s voice, and Zayn looks over at the brunette with Niall, meeting his eyes and a shy smile, the waggle of his fingers. “He’s gorgeous, what the hell.” The guy curses as Zayn just watches him, probably believing that Zayn can’t read lips or something like that. Even if Zayn didn’t have his power, the way this guy’s mouth works around words is ridiculous.

“Hey,” Niall smacks a hand against the guy’s stomach, looking between him and Zayn quickly, almost peevishly, “Off limits,” parroting himself like he did with that girl. If Zayn is off limits to everyone else, he kind of wants to know who he belongs to.

“Uh, what’s his power?” The guy hesitates, and Zayn realizes he’s been staring, probably even frowning a little bit, so he snaps away and turns to mess with his locker, twisting the combination tightly.

“Don’t worry about it.” Niall says, simply, like he already knows, and Zayn’s the one that’s technically in the wrong, listening to conversations he shouldn’t have access to, but he still feels a bit weird if Niall knows. Zayn hopes he’s bluffing.

“Come on.” Niall’s feet drag softly against the ground, the guy’s a bit heavier, until they stop right beside him, and then Zayn looks up, aiming for innocent but he knows, somehow, that he’s missing the mark. “Zayn, hey.” Niall smiles warmly before he raises his left hand where it’s clasped tight around his new friend’s wrist. “This is Harry.”

Zayn takes a second to appraise him from head to toe, from his baggy white shirt to his skinny black jeans, before he speaks, “Hey,” also nodding to Niall before he turns back to mess with his locker. It’s still locked and he’s still half dressed, but it’s whatever because Niall pushes his back against the wall of lockers and cocks his head to the side.

“You remember the storm?” Niall asks Zayn, waiting for him to nod before he continues, “Well,” and Niall leans in conspiratorily, lowering his voice so that, even if there were people around them, they wouldn’t hear. “Harry’s got telekinesis.”

For a second, Zayn is stunned, a little at the fact that Niall would confide in him with this information, but also because this is the first conversation about powers he’s had with anyone since the storm, not counting online because those people could easily be lying.

It takes Zayn a second to wrench his eyes from Niall’s face over to Harry’s, trying to gauge if he’s okay with his secret out, but he doesn’t seem to have any complains so. Zayn nods toward his locker, “Think you can help me with my door then?”

Harry just glances over at Niall, but all he does is step aside, and so Harry reaches out and furrows his brow, a deep look of concentration on his face. The moment stretches on and on until it grows into something awkward and Zayn is just about to laugh the whole thing off when there’s only the warning creak of metal from the lockers before all the doors along their little corridor pop open with a loud bang. Harry yelps, “Oh, shit!”

It’s impressive for starters, definitely enough to remove all Zayn’s doubts that he was just going insane as evidence of Harry’s power makes things spill out of over stuffed cabinets and people glance over from neighbouring rows. “Nice,” Zayn nods in gratitude, reaching over to clap a hand on Harry’s shoulder because it seems to make him bloom with pride.

Now that his locker’s open, Zayn starts getting dressed but he’s barely got his jumpsuit on when the probation worker comes storming in, fury painting his face a dull red as he speaks in a low, dangerous voice. “What was that noise?” He stabs a finger in everyone’s face before coming to a stop in front of Harry, and that’s where his look of rage turns into one of confusion. “Who exactly are you?”

Harry hesitates, looking from Niall to Zayn like he’ll find the answer there before going back to the probation worker with these wide deer eyes. “I’m, uh, Harry.” He finally manages to get out, in a stammer albeit.

The probation worker just looks at him for a second, expression drawing into a practiced sneer, and Zayn feels bad for Harry because he’s long since learned that this guy likes being an asshole for the sake of being an asshole. “And what, Uh-Harry, are you doing in my locker room?” he asks, his voice rising until he’s yelling and Harry is cowering beneath him.

Zayn is about to do something, what he’s not quite sure but _something_ , but Niall slides smoothly in between the two before he can even take a step. “He’s new.” Niall lies, and it sounds so obvious that the probation worker steps back a little and blinks.

“He’s not in the system.” The probation worker says after a moment, and his face is painted with a pure befuddlement that Zayn hasn’t ever seen before, he wonders if it’s Niall’s doing, maybe his power.

But then Niall smiles overly wide, trying too hard to sell his story as he wraps his arm around Harry’s shoulders and hugs him into his side. “He’s really new.” Niall says in a whisper, leaning in like he’s sharing a secret.

The probation worker glares between Harry and Niall like he knows they’re lying now, and then he looks over at Zayn, like he’ll get the truth there. Zayn tries for innocent again, nodding his head and smiling a little and it seems like that’s enough for it to work because the probation worker lets out a huff like he’s lost this battle.

“I’ll add him now.” He starts to make his way out of the locker room but he stops shortly, comes all the way back until he’s a hair’s breadth away from Harry’s face. “You,” stabbing his finger in Harry’s face again, “stay off my radar.”

Harry is still in some state of shock by the time the locker room door slams after the probation worker, collapsing on a nearby bench. “Who was that?” Harry asks, voice cracking partway through his sentence but he doesn’t really seem to care about it. “What’s he talking about?”

Zayn twists around to face his locker, finally zipping up his jumpsuit like he’s putting on armor after that ordeal before closing the door neatly. “Congratulations,” he says, clapping a hand lightly to Harry’s arm. “You are now on probation.” Zayn hears Harry’s splutter but doesn’t stop for it, continuing out of the locker room with Niall following closely behind, his lips pressed tight as he, badly, tries to hold in titters.

Harry brings up the rear, laughing a little, “You’re kidding,” but his feet stop moving when he realizes no one is laughing with him. There’s the sound of his feet slapping against the floor as he runs to catch them up, “He’s kidding, right?” Zayn just smiles as he heads outside and Niall finally can’t contain his laughter, throwing his head back as he cackles. “Niall?!”

(Later on, when they’re outside painting benches, Harry grumbles and leans hard against Zayn’s side, a touch too much for the strangers that they are but, for some reason, Zayn doesn’t mind it.

“This is bullshit.” Harry spits, his lips pulling into a sneer when he smears paint on his arm by accident. He glances over, just once, to make sure that Zayn is actually paying attention and he must read something in Zayn’s face because he continues, “I haven’t even done anything!”

“Tell that to the probation worker.” Zayn mumbles, almost absentmindedly as he glides the brush in a smooth line. “He’s right over there.”

And Zayn kind of loves it when Harry jumps and tries to duck behind him, cowering in fear before he realizes that there’s no one even there. Zayn laughs, loud, when Harry finally reappears, harder when Harry wipes a hand across his forehead in relief and smears more white.

That’s the first time Zayn hears a heart, the growing pitterpatter of Harry’s as his eyes flicker from Zayn’s smile before he forces them back to the bench, pointedly ignoring the flush that colours his ears.

Zayn can barely hear Niall over Harry’s heart when he speaks, “I’m going to the toilet,” and throws his paint brush so hard that it tips over the can.

The sound of Harry’s heart fades out, replaced by the angry stomp of Niall’s feet.)

* * *

A couple days later, after a long afternoon removing graffiti from the side of a building, Zayn finally meets the last member of their newly formed gang, a short brunette named Leigh who disappears right before his eyes when Perrie walks up, coming back into view shortly after with a shy smile.

Turns out she has the ability to camouflage herself like a chameleon and she gets much of the same treatment as Harry did, put on probation without any preamble, but she doesn’t complain, just hides behind Niall so the probation worker doesn’t see her disappear as he rushes out of the locker room.

They go out for drinks and tuck into a quiet corner of a small pub, and it’s fine because it’s not like Zayn has anything else to look forward to this evening than an empty flat but it doesn’t take long before he snaps, not helped by the endless stream of sounds around him. “Why are we here?” He asks, staring Niall dead in the face because he knows for a fact that if anyone’s orchestrated this whole thing, it’s him. “What is this?”

“Look,” Niall says, his easy expression falling into something stiff and everyone leans in because they can tell that this is where things get serious. “We all have powers from that freak storm. We might as well use them, you know?”

Harry’s nodding but Leigh looks unsure, twisting a beer bottle in her hands, “What do you mean?”

Niall barrels right on, sounding practiced like he’s been thinking about this for days, “I mean, the world’s treated us like shit. Never even gave you two a chance!” Niall points at Harry and Leigh, “I think it’s fair if we give them shit right back.”

“We don’t even know what your power is,” Perrie says, nodding first at Niall before turning to look at Zayn. “Nor his for that matter.” And Zayn feels a little targeted, but it’s just fair because he knows all their powers and they haven’t got the slightest inclination on his.

It’s a dead giveaway but Zayn pulls at the lobe of his ear, running his other thumb slowly down the neck of his beer bottle before he shrugs, “Super hearing. I think, at least.” It’s not as cool a power as camouflage or telekinesis but no one says anything, just nodding before they look at Niall expectantly.

Of all the things Zayn expects him to do, fidgeting wasn’t on the list.

Niall ducks his head and takes a drag on his beer to drain it to dregs, scowling down at the table before he looks at the ceiling. “I don’t know my power yet.” Niall admits quietly but he practically yells when Perrie lets out a snort. “Just, fuck off!”

Niall pushes away from the table and it looks like he’s about to storm out, but instead, he comes back after a couple minutes with another round of beers and a calmer attitude, passing the drinks out quietly before he leans back in his chair. “Look, it just hasn’t come to me yet, but I’ll figure it out.” And he sounds so sure of himself that Zayn finds it hard to disbelieve him. “Now, are you in or what?”

Niall looks at them each in turn, eyes earnest and alit with vengeance, holding out his bottle like he’s waiting for a toast. Harry is the first to put his bottle in, grinning at Niall like he’s waiting for approval. Perrie next, but she takes a sip first and looks at Niall with a smile that’s all teeth. Leigh is hesitant but she follows Perrie’s lead and then four pairs of eyes turn on Zayn.

“Come on, man.” Niall pleads, tucking his chin low on the table until he looks like a scorned puppy. “Can’t do this without you,” which is actually pretty funny because Zayn is sure they can; super hearing is hardly the staple of super powers. It’s just that _can’t_ sounds a lot like _won’t_ , the two words easily switched in his head, and Zayn might be fishing here, but if Niall needs him on the team, who is he to deny him.

The clink of their five bottles is the loudest thing Zayn’s heard all day but, by far, one of the best.

* * *

It’s not that they’re the only ones with powers, far from it if the internet’s any indication. Nor are they the only ones to use their powers for crimes. It’s that their strange mix of abilities seems to work somehow, flawlessly together to wreck havoc on the estate.

They stick to petty crimes mostly, getting Perrie to freeze the windows on the front doors so they can break into their local high school and steal all the trophies, replace them with rubber chickens and dildos for a laugh. Or having Leigh run into the convenience store and grab them some things while Harry distracts the clerk with a ‘haunted’ refrigerator door at the back of the room.

Zayn is almost always on lookout seeing as he’s the best fit for it, and he’s most often left with Niall who still hasn’t come into his power, but organizes everything they do.

Zayn isn’t complaining by any means. He likes Niall. He’s good company. He just.

He wants more. He wants something else. Friendship is all well and good but it doesn’t feel like enough anymore. The fact that they’re together every night feels like it should mean something else, and it might not, Zayn’s taken that into consideration, but he doesn’t want to write it off before he even gives it a chance.

So it’s on one of those long nights that Zayn finally speaks up, when he and Niall are sitting under a tree around midnight, while the others break into the community center to get at the paddle boats Niall knows are in storage somewhere.

Well, speaks up is a bit of a stretch because Zayn tries to say something at least a half dozen times, comes up with the weather at his fourth pathetic try (“The weather’s quite nice tonight.” “Yeah, yes. It’s a lovely night.”).

Niall watches the whole thing out of the corner of his eye but he lets Zayn have the time to collect his thoughts. He’s grateful for it. Finally, Zayn just decides to go for it, throw himself off the deep end, “Fancy a drink?” Zayn blurts out, tuning out the sound of Harry cursing far inside the building as he twists around to face Niall.

“What, like right now?” Niall asks, gesturing around himself as though to show that he hasn’t got any alcohol readily available and doesn’t know where Zayn plans to procure them some, but he’s smiling. Zayn has to remind himself that that’s a good sign.

Zayn just needs to calm down, so he tries to focus on his breathing but that doesn’t really work so he focuses, hard, until he can hear the rhythmic beat of Niall’s heart. That does it, the slow canter bringing Zayn’s own pulse back down to reasonable ranges, until he exhales. He feels so calm, it’s like he just smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. “No, I mean, like sometime. Like a date.”

“Oh,” Niall sounds surprised, like he hadn’t expected Zayn to just come out and say it, but Zayn didn’t want to leave any room for confusion so. Niall shifts over until his arm is hitting Zayn’s, close enough to feel the heat off his body. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Zayn feels Niall’s response like a burst of heat in his chest, has to duck to hide his smile because he’ll look like a dork otherwise.

Zayn is about to further their plans when the sound of feet on grass makes him stop talking and look over. Harry comes over the crest of the hill and Zayn doesn’t know why he feels guilty.

“Hey, so.” Harry says, sitting down by their feet so he faces them. “We didn’t find the boats and Leigh said she had a bad feeling so we got out of there.” Harry shrugs and looks over at Zayn. “Can you hear anything?”

Zayn focuses on the community center, picking apart the sounds of bugs crawling along the floor and the humming of an industrial freezer until he gets to this shrill ringing, “A sort of buzzing?” He asks, looking over at Harry who curses and dips his head.

“That’d be a silent alarm.” Harry says slowly, blowing hair out of his eyes before he looks up at the sky. “Guess we’re not going out on the river after all?”

Zayn can’t help but smile a little, Harry sounds so forlorn, but they’ll have another chance to try, figure out the system a little more before then. “I also hear sirens, so.” Zayn says, standing up and brushing dirt from the back of his pants. “We should probably go.”

Niall leads the way down the hill, glancing around before he turns to look back at Harry, “Where are Perrie and Leigh?” He asks, walking backwards a little but Zayn isn’t worried. Niall knows the estate like the back of his hand, leading them down a narrow channel toward the apartments.

“They were behind me.” Harry gestures before his face twists a little, like he’s sucked on something sour. “Hey, did you know they were dating? I was third-wheeling so hard in there.” Harry groans and Zayn doesn’t have the heart to tell him that that might not be the only place he’s the odd man out.

Zayn doesn’t really get the chance to either because Niall walks backwards into this buff man none of them noticed before now, but when he tries to walk around him, the man steps in front of Niall, imposing. Niall backs away and Zayn kind of wants them to run, but he has a feeling not all of them will get away if they try to.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here.” Zayn recognizes that voice and it sends a chill down his spine. It’s this dickhead drug dealer named Tom with a strict no-nonsense policy, pay up or get pummelled. There was a moment a long time ago when Zayn got seduced by all the drugs and excitement but his brother got him out, one life for another’s, and paid the ultimate price. Zayn has never forgiven Tom but made sure to stay clear of his radar, until now.

“Zayn Malik.” Tom saunters out from behind his bodyguard, or he might as well be, big as he is. “I didn’t know you were out.” Tom teases, voice jovial like they’re old friends meeting by chance. In a dark alley. Sure.

“I’m on probation.” Zayn tells him, if only because lying or avoidance will do nothing for him right now. The truth is the fastest way to get out of this unharmed, which is the only thing he wants to do, if not for all of them than for Harry and Niall would be enough.

“Yes, that’s right.” Tom taps at his chin thoughtfully. “Caught with, what was it again? Remind me. Ecstacy? Cocaine?” It was an accident, Zayn was only trying to save a friend because she had priors and she was going to jail for sure. He took the fall for her, but no one knew that, and he couldn’t exactly tell the courts. And now Tom was rubbing it in his face. “Enough with the intent to distribute anyway. Without daddy on your side, you would’ve gotten jail time, at least.”

Zayn can’t help but hiss and twist his head away, take a deep breath to calm himself but it doesn’t really work. “Leave it.” Zayn growls, looking over at Tom again, because he’s not that scared little boy anymore and he doesn’t want this to end in blood and gore but he will handle shit if it happens.

“No, you see,” Tom steps forward until he’s close enough that Zayn can feel his breath on his face, see the way Tom bares his teeth. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.” And that was what Zayn was afraid of, that out of all the things he’d had to deal with, Tom would remember him over all of them. “This ends tonight.”

Which, alright, if it has to come to this. Zayn wants nothing more than for Tom to focus only on him, but he’s not so lucky. “Just fuck off.” Niall says, drawing attention to himself as he rolls his eyes like Tom is nothing to be concerned with and Zayn wishes, just this once, that Niall wouldn’t be so brave.

“Niall,” Zayn calls out, hoarsely, but Tom’s already moving on from him, standing in front of Niall like he’s a bug to squish.

“Who’s this? Your girlfriend?” Tom asks, licking his lips before he reaches out. Niall smacks his arm away before he can even touch, winding his fist back like he’s going to knock Tom out. Zayn doesn’t put it past him, but he’s seen Tom take on four guys and walk out of it unscathed. Tom fights dirty, and Zayn doesn’t want Niall on the receiving end.

Zayn tries to step forward but Tom stills him with a look. “Leave him alone.” Zayn growls, regardless, because he doesn’t want Tom to even so much as touch Niall, he’d rather die before that happens, but Tom just sneers before he reaches out again, Niall’s body tensing like he’s struggling between fight or flight.

Tom never touches Niall. His hand falls short as though stopped by some unseen force and Zayn swings around to look at Harry. He’s red in the face, along the bridge of his nose, and there’s sweat dotted on his forehead but his arm is outstretched and he’s holding Tom back. “He said, leave him alone.” Harry manages to get out, voice laboured but strong just the same. Zayn can’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion.

“You’ve got a power, have you?” Tom sneers, slowly but surely breaking Harry’s control until he can stumble back and Harry clutches at his nose, blood leaking between his fingers. Zayn is torn between going to Harry and going to Niall, feeling like he has to make a choice and he doesn’t know which side to choose. It’s taken out of his hands when Tom speaks, “But I’ve got someone like you too,” and his bodyguard lets out this terrible roar, muscles growing like he’s the hulk but more grotesque, arms bulging grossly.

“Harry, run!” Zayn shouts, reaching out for him, but he’s already locked in a stalemate with the man, body shaking and quivering but he’s holding his own, blood dripping down his chin as it leaks from his nose and the man’s contorted face inches ever closer to his own.

“We’re going to settle this now, Zayn.” Tom roars, pacing around like he’s not sure who he wants to go after more, Niall or Zayn, since he left Niall by the side but Zayn is center stage and his main prey. “No more running. No more big brother to help you.”

“Fuck off!” Zayn shouts, and it feels like his very words bounce off the sky. It’s at that moment that Harry finally bests his foe, thrown off his own feet, yes, but his enemy goes flying off into the sky, out of the alley and out of sight, and Tom is left three to one. It seems like he’s lost, until he pulls out his gun.

“Then again, I don’t need a power to take care of you now, do I.” Tom spits out the words, too fast for Zayn to realize what he’s about to do as he ends up on the wrong end of the gun, too fast for Zayn to do anything before Tom pulls the trigger.

It’s not like the movies where everything goes in slow motion. It’s, one minute Zayn’s got a gun on him and the next he’s on the ground, Niall on top of him, but the only pain Zayn feels is in his arm. Zayn is careful when he rolls Niall off of him, sees the hole in his shirt and the spurt of blood coming from it, the way Niall winces as he lands on his back.

“No,” Zayn breathes out, eyes stinging and sore behind his eyes. “You motherfucker,” Zayn springs to his feet and faces Tom so fast that he’s not afraid of the gun anymore. “I’ll kill you!” And he means it as well. No matter what, Tom isn’t leaving here unharmed. He left that possibility at the door when he shot Niall.

“Oh really?” Tom sneers, like he thinks he’s got the upper hand anymore.

But Zayn can hear the hollow sound behind the bullet that loads, and he wonders who on earth only brings two bullets to a gunfight. “You’ve only got one round left and there’s two of us.” Zayn’s not going to let hubris get the better of him, not now, but his lips are contorting in a leer of their own volition, the real beast inside him coming out after so many years tame.

Tom’s eyes widen a little, like he’s wondering how exactly Zayn knew how many bullets he had left, but he must decide it doesn’t matter because he narrows his eyes again and firms his arm. “I only need one bullet to kill you.” Tom reminds him, smirking and teasing, but it’s clear to everyone he’s already lost.

Tom is panicked now, at the end of his rope, even if he doesn’t show it on his face, and Zayn stands his ground, waits until Tom wavers and hesitates before starting to pull the trigger. He says one crucial word, “Harry.” Zayn just hopes that this is nothing like the locker incident.

It’s not.

There’s a small explosion around Tom’s arm and when the cloud of smoke clears he’s missing a hand, bloody stump in its place, a mess of flesh and carnage. Tom lets out a screech and clutches where his wrist used to be. “My arm!” Tom’s face contorts in horror and Zayn feels nothing, not triumph nor disgust.

“Leave now, or it’s your head next.” Harry says, but he doesn’t sound like he’s got it in him, drowsy and dull, but Tom books it, and then it’s just the three of them in the alley.

Zayn jumps back over to Niall as Harry falls to his knees on the other side, and Zayn doesn’t know where to put his hands first. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Zayn says like a mantra, finally cupping Niall’s throat as he feels for his pulse. It’s there but it’s not strong.

“Stop that,” Niall croaks, easing Zayn’s hand away from his throat but only so he can lace their fingers gently together instead. “I jumped in front of you, remember?” Niall tries to smile but his gums are all bloody, tries to sit up a little but his face goes white with pain.

“No, don’t move.” Harry forces Niall’s shoulder back down to the ground, not harshly, but enough that he knows to stay down. It’s a testament to how weak he is that Niall stays put and Harry swallows a whine, buries his head in Niall’s shoulder. “Niall, fuck.”

Zayn shakes his head, what can he even say in this kind of situation, after all? It’s not going to be okay, they can all tell that, but it was less than an hour ago he sitting beside Niall on a hill planning out their first date, the first of many, and now. “Why did you do that, Niall?” Zayn asks, because he’d rather be the one shot than have to suffer this.

Niall smiles again, closed lips this time, and buries his free hand in Harry’s hair. “Couldn’t let you get hurt, either of you.” Niall explains like it’s simple and it is, kind of, but it’s also not. Nothing is simple after this point. It’s a long quiet moment, where Zayn listens to the thud of Niall’s heart like he’s scared it’s going to fade out between one thud and the other, and then Niall speaks up. “Zayn, I need to ask you something.”

Zayn almost laughs, like Niall could say something right now and Zayn would even dream of denying him, now, after everything that happened to him, all because of Zayn. “Anything, Niall.” Zayn says, and he means it. How could he not?

“I need you to take care of Harry, okay?” Niall says, slowly, and his words are measured now, like they have a value they didn’t before. “He’s not like you. He needs someone, fuck.” Blood spills from Niall’s mouth and he tries to clean it up but there’s always more. Niall finally gives up and just grabs Zayn’s hand, waits for him to meet his eyes before he continues, “He needs you.” Niall waits for Zayn to nod before he lets him go.

Niall pushes Harry out of his arms next, toward Zayn, coughing up more blood that splatters on his chin. “This is such bullshit.” He gasps out, clutching at his chest like he could staunch the bleeding with his hands but he can’t. “Never even figured out my power.” Niall lets out a laugh, a little crazily but it’s humourless too. And then something in his eyes fades away and Zayn knows.

Harry lets out this inhumane screech and throws himself at Niall’s chest, shoulders heaving as he tries to swallow down a sob, “No! _No!_ ” But it’s pretty clear that Niall is already gone, head tilting limp to his side, even as blood continues to drip from his mouth.

Zayn doesn’t know what to think right now, can’t compartmentalise his emotions what with dread and anger and sadness all battling for dominance in his head. He focuses on Niall’s words, his dying wish to take care of Harry, and stands up. “Come on. We have to go.” Zayn’s voice sounds stony to his own ears, emotionally withdrawn, and he knows he’s going to crash later on but, right now, he just, he can’t deal with it. “There’s nothing we can do. We have to _go_.”

Zayn tries to pull on Harry’s arm, harder when Harry resists and tries to stay against Niall’s side. Harry fights him as Zayn tries to drag him away, but Zayn knows that they can’t be found when, if the police ever get here. Zayn has to loosen the hold on his hearing because Harry’s wailing is starting to get to him, breaking his resolve, and that’s when he hears it.

A thud, dull and low, but a thud all the same and he can’t. Two thuds, one after the other in quick succession. And then again, two thuds, two thuds, speeding up faster and faster but keeping the same tempo of two thuds and it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. It’s a heartbeat. Not his, not Harry’s, they’re both going too fast.

Zayn turns around, disbelieving, but he focuses all his power on Niall’s body and there’s no mistaking it. Where there wasn’t mere seconds ago, Niall has a heartbeat. He’s alive.

Niall jolts up a second later, coughing up blood and something silvery that rests on his lips. Harry freezes too, noticing as Niall’s eyes blink open and he raises his arm to wipe the blood from his mouth before he realizes that there’s something else there. Niall plucks the bullet from his lips, sits up, and raises the copper round in front of his eyes before he grimaces and looks up.

“I just spat up the bullet.” He says, confused, but he just tosses the bullet to the side and reaches for the neck of his bloodied shirt, tugging it down slowly to expose his smooth skin, sans bullet wound. “Oh, my god. It’s gone.” Niall staggers to his feet, jolting a little before he catches himself but Zayn’s amazed he’s even standing. He shouldn’t be. He just _shouldn’t_. “How am I alive?”

Niall stares down at the bullet, down to his chest, before he looks up at them and Zayn has to strain a little to hear his whisper, “I’m immortal?” It just sounds so out of the realm of possibility but Niall’s standing right in front of him and Zayn can’t deny it. “Holy shit, I’m immortal!” Niall leaps in the air and whoops, looking fit as a fiddle when only minutes ago he was laid out flat. It’s unbelievable.

“Yes! This is the best power in the world.” Niall rants, throwing his hands up like he’s praising the sky before he points toward Harry in one fast movement. “Suck it, telekinesis! I’ve got immortality.” Zayn hopes and prays that this isn’t some kind of trick, prays that Niall isn’t going to fade away in a couple of days and this is only temporary. He’s so caught up in his thoughts that he barely hears Niall when he retches, “Fuck, blood tastes bad,” bending double to spit out another glob of red spit, what Zayn hopes might be the last for a long time.

It’s what snaps him out of his haze and Zayn stomps forward, “You motherfucker.”

Niall holds out his hands, backing away in fright, “Wait, wait, Zayn!” like he thinks that Zayn’s going to hit him or something, but that is just the furthest thing from Zayn’s mind.

As soon as Niall gets within arm’s reach, Zayn grabs him by the front of his shirt and hauls him close, not waiting a second before he presses their lips together. It’s a bit too hard to be called a kiss, Niall stiff and unyielding, and Zayn starts to speak, an apology on his tongue, but Niall’s eyes soften in understanding and he relaxes under Zayn’s touch. “Oh,” Niall breathes, stepping forward until he and Zayn are pressed from thigh to chest and he can cup Zayn’s jaw, “Yeah, alright.”

Their next kiss is a thousand times better, soft and slow and Niall gasps a little against Zayn’s mouth, shudders.

Harry coughs from behind, quietly like he doesn’t really want to break the moment but not enough to announce his awkward feeling. “I’ll just leave then, shall I?” Harry asks, sounding like he’s already stepping away and, no.

Zayn is loathe to let Niall go, not now that he’s just got him back so he takes Niall with him as he hurries after Harry, catching him by the arm to stop him. “Don’t,” Zayn says, and he kind of hates the way his voice sounds hoarse because he knows it’s not all from the kiss, but Harry relaxes under his hand and takes a step closer, face smoothing out like a mask. “Don’t you dare.”

“Alright,” Harry says, reaching out to cup the other side of Zayn’s jaw and, Zayn doesn’t know what the hell is going on, why Niall is back or how he really feels for Harry, let alone Niall, but he knows, for certain, that he wants to keep these two safe. And that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

* * *

“Let me get this straight.” Perrie says, turning toward Niall in a way that makes it seem like she hasn’t got time for this foolishness. “You’re immortal.” Niall nods, dribbling a little beer down his chin as he tips the bottle to get at the dregs. “You got shot,” Niall nods again, swiping the back of his hand across his chin as he grins. “And then you died.”

“Yep!” Niall chirps, popping up from his chair so he can cross the roof of the community center and get another beer, scowling as he comes back and sees that Harry has stolen his comfortable chair and left him with a hard plastic one, scavenged from one of the storage rooms.

Perrie eyes him suspiciously, from his head to his toe before her brows furrow tight. “You don’t look like you got shot.” She accuses, like she doesn’t believe him, but Niall takes it all in stride turning to look at her.

“Hence the immortality.” Niall says with a grand gesture to front of himself and Zayn can’t help but laugh. Niall looks like a show girl when he does that.

“Let’s see if you come back after I freeze your heart.” Perrie smiles, mischievously, popping up from her chair and reaching out her hand but, when Niall doesn’t move, Zayn reaches out, dragging Niall away from her and into his lap.

“Hey, whoa, no.” Zayn says, wrapping his arms tight around Niall stomach as though he can protect him from everything like that. “We don’t know if that was only a one time thing.” Zayn argues because it’s a valid concern. There isn’t exactly a manual for their powers, and there’s no reason to take a risk in the name of experimentation, not when someone’s life is on the line.

“One revive?” Niall wiggles around until he can see Zayn’s face. “What a useless superpower that is!” Niall scoffs and pulls out of Zayn’s arms, crossing until he’s standing like a king at court in front of all the chairs. “I’m definitely going to be a better superhero.” Niall spins around and turns to pull a heroic pose, arms pumped as he growls. He sounds like a puppy.

“Superhero? Who said anything about superhero?” Harry asks, but he jumps up to join Niall at the edge of the building, batting at Niall’s arm until he drops the superman act. They get into a little pushing fight and Leigh has to break them up even though it wasn’t a serious fight.

“I said superhero.” Niall says, puffing up his chest. It makes Zayn laugh and walk over as well, followed close by Perrie rolling her eyes. “Come on, guys. Being evil is all good and well but being on the other side is different. I mean, I didn’t do much, just got shot, but.” Niall shrugs, “This could be the start of something huge.” Niall waves a hand out at the estate and they all turn to face it, contemplating the sign of endless possibility.

Zayn has to admit it, Niall’s right, this feels like something huge so he says, “Yeah, right,” and just like that, it’s settled.

**Author's Note:**

> The third section of the story contains a character that enjoys being verbally aggressive with his charges.
> 
> The fifth section of the story contains mention of a character death, but the character is shortly revived afterwards by superpowers. It also contains somewhat graphic detail about blood and gore, including a bloody nose, a bullet wound, and a hand removed by violent mutilation, but the last one is only mentioned in a short paragraph.
> 
> * * *
> 
> I didn't mean to make it so ziall!centric but I like to imagine the relationship continues with Harry more established in the trio, lots of praise!kink, less jealousy and insecurity, more worrying because Niall still dies even though he comes back and Zayn spends a lot of time listening to Niall's heart.
> 
> Also also, I don't think I was awfully subtle but this was a glorified Misfits AU and, if you haven't watched the show yet, I highly recommend it!


End file.
